The Prince Who Loved Me - Chapter 57
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 57
Bada pressed her lips tightly together, her face red as if it might burst. She felt so embarrassed that she wanted to hide in a mouse hole right away.
She had never made a mistake from drinking in her entire life. What on earth had she been thinking?
Seeing Bada at a loss from embarrassment, he decided it was time to stop teasing her.
He patted her shoulder and said.
“You must not feel well either, so go eat breakfast.”
Bada nodded obediently like a scolded puppy and made her way to the dining room.
Seeing her shoulders drooped like a defeated soldier, he felt a slight regret, wondering if he had teased her too much.
But actually, if you thought about it, he was the more pitiful one.
‘You provoke someone like that, then confuse it with a dream?’
Because she had stirred him up when he was staying still, he hadn’t been in his right mind all last night.
Yesterday evening, after leaving her bedroom and returning to his office, he felt a tingling sensation in his lower body.
It was terrible pain that couldn’t be left alone.
Unable to endure it any longer, he finally locked the door firmly.
He had to use all his strength to calm what was grotesquely enraged.
He closed his eyes and thought of Bada in his mind.
Only after rubbing until even her tongue tip was saturated with his scent in his imagination did satisfaction bloom.
Like a male marking his territory.
He gripped her chin and murmured quietly.
‘I never intended to let you go after a year anyway. Just live with me in this prison.’
Suddenly, he startled and opened his eyes.
“I’m crazy.”
He let out a languid sigh.
Where had all his dignity as crown prince gone? It was something he hadn’t done even in his childish youth.
‘Keeping you within reach, what am I even doing?’
He wiped his hands with tissue, crumpled it up and threw it in the trash.
As he pulled up his pants and shifted his gaze, his eyes suddenly fell on the royal portrait.
It was a family portrait depicting the King and Queen and himself.
Feeling somehow disgusted, he turned his steps toward the bathroom.
* * *
Bada entered the dining room for breakfast, hiding her burning face.
As soon as she sat at the table, a servant immediately brought out the meal. The menu was egg omelet, and a Bloody Mary with celery was served as the drink.
Come to think of it, Bloody Mary was famous as a hangover cure drink.
Bada looked puzzled at the menu that was different from usual.
“…This is.”
“Ah, His Highness specifically ordered this menu to be prepared today. If it doesn’t suit your taste, shall I bring something else?”
“Oh, no. It’s fine. I’ll eat well.”
“After you finish your meal, I’ll bring pills that help with hangovers. This is also what His Highness instructed.”
“…Yes. Thank you.”
Taking a sip of the Bloody Mary, her queasy stomach felt like it was settling down a bit.
Bada picked up her knife and put the soft egg omelet in her mouth, chewing.
‘He’s really thoughtful at times like this.’
Thinking of Damien who had arranged her breakfast menu, she recalled the words he had whispered in her ear earlier.
“Haah…”
Bada shook her head at the embarrassment washing over her again and brought the Bloody Mary glass to her lips.
* * *
Bada spent the next few weeks receiving intensive training from the Countess.
Royal protocol and history, ballroom dancing, and VIP hospitality. There was a mountain of things to learn.
But Bada always came perfectly prepared with preview and review, surprising the Countess.
‘There’s a lot to learn, but honestly, compared to earning season when I worked at the company, this is nothing. This level is what, about half the workload of a second-year analyst?’
Above all, having attended private boarding school helped her pick up upper-class culture along the way.
The sophisticated English and protocol etiquette she had learned from her Ivy League education and dealing with VIP customers at Yeouido Investment Bank were also Bada’s weapons.
Today happened to continue with education about etiquette at dining occasions.
Bada sat across from the Countess at a round table for the lesson.
On the table was a setting of tableware used for royal banquets.
When Bada picked up a knife, the Countess’s scolding flew at her.
“Oh my, you mustn’t hold it with the blade facing outward. You’re not facing an enemy, are you?”
“Haha, I’m sorry. Maybe I got confused by the saying that the dinner table is like a quiet battlefield.”
Bada made a joke feeling embarrassed, but the Countess didn’t even pretend to smile.
“Depending on the situation, the dinner table can indeed become a battlefield. That’s why it’s important to master perfect etiquette. Flawless manners are like armor that defends against enemy attacks.”
“Then since my armor was crafted by the Countess, its durability must be world-class.”
“If you don’t want to disgrace this old woman, you must master well what I’ve taught you.”
“Yes, Countess.”
“Do you have any questions?”
Bada looked down thoughtfully at the table setting.
‘This setting is all based on right-handed people, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be inconvenient for left-handed people?’
“Is there no separate setting for left-handed people?”
“That’s a good question. To answer you, officially there are almost no cases where separate settings are made for left-handed people. If everyone had different settings, the tableware might get mixed up with the person sitting next to you, and it could confuse the staff serving food.”
“Ah, I see.”
“However, if it were a private dinner party hosted by a lady, you might show consideration.”
The Countess seemed pleased with the question and continued with a smile.
“Etiquette is fundamentally about respect for others. It’s not like a constitution. So you don’t need to be too confined by rules.”
“Thank you for the good teaching, Countess.”
“Hmm, then let’s review what we learned last time.”
The Countess opened a thick notebook and asked questions about royal protocol.
Despite some quite difficult questions being mixed in, Bada answered without hesitation.
As if this exceeded expectations, a small smile appeared on the Countess’s lips.
“My goodness, you really studied hard, didn’t you? I’m honestly a bit surprised.”
“…Haha, really?”
“Many people complain that royal protocol is excessively detailed. But you memorized all of this without a single complaint?”
“Yes. I think there’s a certain ‘Cost Benefit Analysis’ behind why complex protocols exist.”
“Cost benefit analysis?”
The Countess furrowed her brow at the sudden appearance of economic terminology.
“When I worked at a company in Korea, I saw investments worth hundreds of billions of won disappear due to minor protocol mistakes or lack of formality. Strict protocols for VIP ceremonies were created to prevent this.”
“…”
“I think the reason royal protocols exist is similar to this. In other words, they’re standardized operating procedures to protect the brand asset that is the Royal Family.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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